Trump administration says 'walls work.' Here's what a full view of the border shows

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In this March 6, 2017, photo, a member of the Border Patrol's Border Tunnel Entry Team walks in a tunnel in San Diego that spans the border between the California city and Tijuana, Mexico. Team members are known in the Border Patrol as "tunnel rats" — agents who go in the clandestine passages that have proliferated on the U.S.-Mexico border over the last 20 years to smuggle drugs. Associated Press

A member of the Border Patrol's Border Tunnel Entry Team looks up as he descends an entrance carved out by the Border Patrol leading to a tunnel spanning the border between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. Authorities have discovered more than 200 cross-border tunnels originating in Mexico since 1990, most of which entered the United States. Associated Press

A member of the Border Patrol's Border Tunnel Entry Team lowers a cable into a tunnel entrance in between two border barriers separating San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. Authorities have discovered more than 200 cross-border tunnels originating in Mexico since 1990, most of which entered the United States. Many are shallow holes but some are elaborately constructed with hydraulic lifts, water pumps and rail cars. Associated Press

Members of the Border Patrol's Border Tunnel Entry Team work in a tunnel spanning the border between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. Above, a ventilation shaft created by the Border Patrol reaches to the surface. Associated Press

More than a year later, the total number of miles with fencing has not changed. Nearly all of the barriers built either replaced old structures or provided an additional layer of security. But DHS now usually refers to the fences as walls.

On Tuesday, the president put out a tweet declaring much of his "great wall" already has been built, and the border "is now secure and will remain that way."

The conflicting statements about border barriers continue. The full survey of the border, and the accompanying reporting, helps put them in context.

How much of the border is fenced or walled today?

Our questions launched an unprecedented report. See it at thewall.usatoday.com.
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Less than one-third of the border has a security fence of any kind. Much of the 2,000-mile expanse is remote and treacherous desert, jagged mountains and impassable river canyons.

More than a year after that report, the border still has roughly 654 miles of pedestrian and vehicle barriers. There are no "walls" as defined by the president before he took office. Instead, fencing has been built, taller than fencing it replaced in the same spots.

Agent Jose Romero patrols Highway 9 during an eight-day rotation at Ramsey Forward Operating Base, east of Columbus, New Mexico. He is based out of an El Paso office most of the time. Mark Henle/USA TODAY NETWORK

Border Patrol agents look for signs of human disturbances as they travel Highway 9 and other routes. The signs can be as subtle as a change in the reflection of the ground. Mark Henle/USA TODAY NETWORK

Border crossers and smugglers sometimes try to cover their tracks, but just the disturbance of the dirt can be enough for Border Patrol agents to track. A trail of disturbed earth often leads to footprints. Mark Henle/USA TODAY NETWORK

The dangers of the Chihuahuan Desert are real, says Stuart Harris, a Border Patrol agent and vice president of the National Border Patrol Council Local 1929 (El Paso Sector). Nick Oza/USA TODAY NETWORK

Interested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:

Is the border secure today?

The president tweeted Tuesday that "people have yet to get through our newly built walls," adding that the border "is now secure and will remain that way."

According to DHS records, more than 396,000 people were arrested entering the United States without documents this fiscal year. It is unknown how many made it through, avoiding apprehension.

When Trump took office, Border Patrol arrests were at the lowest they'd been in four decades. Illegal crossings continued to drop during his first year, then surged higher in fiscal 2018.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 857,000 pounds of marijuana from smugglers last year, plus 15,182 pounds of heroin. No one knows how much narcotics got through.

The "Walls Work" page focuses on a more recent incident, in which people from a caravan of Central American migrants protested at the border fence in Tijuana. When some people broke through the fence, officers fired tear gas at the crowd. (Officials later said 42 people were apprehended after getting through the fence.)

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Migrants run from tear gas launched by U.S. agents, amid photojournalists covering the Mexico-U.S. border, after a group of migrants got past Mexican police at the Chaparral crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 25, 2018. Rodrigo Abd/Associated Press

Three Honduran migrants huddle in the riverbank amid tear gas fired by U.S. agents on the Mexico-U.S. border after they and a group of migrants got past Mexican police at the Chaparral border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 25, 2018. Ramon Espinosa/Associated Press

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer removes banners posted on a wall at the Mexico-U.S. border, as migrants walk past, as seen from San Diego, Nov. 25, 2018. The banner at left reads: "The Third World is already here." Migrants approaching the U.S. border from Mexico were enveloped with tear gas Sunday after a few tried to breach the fence separating the two countries. Greg Bull/Associated Press

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers walks along a wall at the border between Mexico and the United States, as seen from San Diego on Nov. 25, 2018. Migrants approaching the U.S. border from Mexico were enveloped with tear gas Sunday after a few tried to breach a fence separating the two countries. Greg Bull/Associated Press

U.S. military personnel deploy at the San Ysidro port of entry in San Diego on Nov. 25, 2018. The Border Patrol office in San Diego said via Twitter that pedestrian crossings have been suspended at the San Ysidro port of entry at both the East and West facilities. All northbound and southbound traffic was halted. Greg Bull/Associated Press

Migrants walk up a riverbank at the Mexico-U.S. border after getting past a line of Mexican police at the Chaparral border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 25, 2018, as they try to reach the U.S. Ramon Espinosa/Associated Press

Migrants run toward the U.S. after breaking past a line of Mexican police at the Chaparral border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 25, 2018, near the San Ysidro, California entry point. Ramon Espinosa/Associated Press

Migrants cross the river at the Mexico-U.S. border after getting past a line of Mexican police at the Chaparral crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 25, 2018, as they try to reach the U.S. Ramon Espinosa/Associated Press

A migrant woman helps carry a handmade U.S. flag up the riverbank at the Mexico-U.S. border after getting past Mexican police at the Chaparral border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 25, 2018, as a group of migrants tries to reach the U.S. Ramon Espinosa/Associated Press

A Central American migrant is stopped by U.S. agents who order him to go back to the Mexican side of the border, after a group of migrants got past Mexican police at the Chaparral crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 25, 2018, at the border with San Ysidro, California. The mayor of Tijuana has declared a humanitarian crisis in his border city and says that he has asked the United Nations for aid to deal with the approximately 5,000 Central American migrants who have arrived in the city. (AP Photo/Pedro Acosta) Pedro Acosta/Associated Press

Migrants try to push past Mexican police on the Mexico-U.S. border at the Chaparral crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 25, 2018, as they try to reach the U.S. The mayor of Tijuana has declared a humanitarian crisis in his border city and says that he has asked the United Nations for aid to deal with the approximately 5,000 Central American migrants who have arrived in the city. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Rodrigo Abd/Associated Press

Migrants clash with Mexican police on the Mexico-U.S. border at the Chaparral crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 25, 2018, as they try to reach the U.S. The mayor of Tijuana has declared a humanitarian crisis in his border city and says that he has asked the United Nations for aid to deal with the approximately 5,000 Central American migrants who have arrived in the city. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Rodrigo Abd/Associated Press

Migrants move up a riverbank at the Mexico-U.S. border after getting past a line of Mexican police at the Chaparral border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 25, 2018, as they try to reach the U.S. The mayor of Tijuana has declared a humanitarian crisis in his border city and says that he has asked the United Nations for aid to deal with the approximately 5,000 Central American migrants who have arrived in the city. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Ramon Espinosa/Associated Press

A migrant wearing a U.S. flag walks along the Mexico-U.S. border in Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 25, 2018. The mayor of Tijuana has declared a humanitarian crisis in his border city and says that he has asked the United Nations for aid to deal with the approximately 5,000 Central American migrants who have arrived in the city. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Rodrigo Abd/Associated Press

A migrant waves a Honduran flag as U.S. border patrol agents stand guard, seen at left through the fence, at the Mexico-U.S. border in Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 25, 2018, as a group of migrants tries to reach the U.S. The mayor of Tijuana has declared a humanitarian crisis in his border city and says that he has asked the United Nations for aid to deal with the approximately 5,000 Central American migrants who have arrived in the city. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Rodrigo Abd/Associated Press

Migrants gather at the Mexico-U.S. border after getting past a line of Mexican police at the Chaparral crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 25, 2018, as they try to reach the U.S. The mayor of Tijuana has declared a humanitarian crisis in his border city and says that he has asked the United Nations for aid to deal with the approximately 5,000 Central American migrants who have arrived in the city. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Rodrigo Abd/Associated Press

Migrants peer through the border wall after getting past a line of Mexican police at the Chaparral crossing in Tijuana, Mexico, Nov. 25, 2018, as they try to reach the U.S. The mayor of Tijuana has declared a humanitarian crisis in his border city and says that he has asked the United Nations for aid to deal with the approximately 5,000 Central American migrants who have arrived in the city. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Rodrigo Abd/Associated Press

What's the distinction between a fence and a wall?

During the presidential campaign, Trump was emphatic about the difference. He said he was not going to have a barrier like the existing fence, "which is either nonexistent or a joke." Instead, he promised a "big, beautiful wall" that would be 30 feet high.

At the administration's request, wall prototypes were erected near San Diego. Design specification required walls over 20 feet tall, with features making them insurmountable and impenetrable.

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Three border wall prototypes are seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, California, as seen from behind the pre-existing border fencing on the international border between the U.S. and Tijuana, Mexico, on Oct. 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

A border wall prototype is seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, California, as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on Oct. 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Construction continues of the border wall prototype designed and contracted to Fisher Sand & Gravel of Tempe, among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, California, on Oct. 17, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Construction continues of the border wall prototype designed and contracted to Fisher Sand & Gravel of Tempe, among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, California, on Oct. 17, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Two border wall prototypes are seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

A border wall prototype is seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

A border wall prototypes is seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Two border wall prototypes are seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Three border wall prototypes are seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from behind the preexisting border fencing on the international border between the U.S. and Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Three border wall prototypes are seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from behind the preexisting border fencing on the international border between the U.S. and Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

A border-wall prototype is seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on Oct. 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

A border wall prototype is seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

A border wall prototype is seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

A border-wall prototype is seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, as seen from behind the pre-existing border fencing on U.S.-Mexico border on Oct. 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Two border wall prototypes are seen among the construction of the prototypes near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry outside of San Diego, Calif., as seen from behind the preexisting border fencing on the international border between the U.S. and Tijuana, Mexico, on October 16, 2017. David Wallace/The Republic

Congress approved funding in 2016 and 2017 for new border barriers, but stipulated that DHS must use fence designs already in existence — not a new wall.

How much new fence has gone up under Trump?

DHS reports total construction of 31 miles of barriers so far, in four segments that replace or back up old fences. The department says by the end of fiscal year 2019 it expects to have 120 additional miles completed or under construction.

It is unclear if any of the new barriers will be of a wall design as outlined by DHS when prototypes were sought.

Are the new fences different in any respect?

For the most part, no. However, there is one exception: DHS built a 2-mile segment of replacement barrier near El Centro that is 30 feet tall. The structure features the same steel posts, known as bollards, as older fences, but those are only 12 to 18 feet high.

ICYM the livestream, after @SecNielsen’s arrival to the 30ft Calexico #border fence, two men welded this to the fence. It reads: “This plaque was installed on October 26, 2018 to commemorate the completion of the first section of President Trump’s border wall” pic.twitter.com/ZnJF6xtpOw

In Texas, where the Rio Grande constitutes the entire 1,200 miles of border, there is barely any fence, and what exists is intermittent.

USA TODAY NETWORK reporting found about 5,000 parcels next to the border. Prior attempts to condemn and seize private properties in the Rio Grande Valley led to hundreds of court cases, some of which dragged on for years.

Fence-building efforts there, and in other states, also are likely to generate lawsuits from environmentalists and other opposition groups.